


kiss me goodnight?

by rivainitea



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Arthur Morgan Does Not Have Tuberculosis, M/M, Spooning On The Back Of A Horse, thank god for that tag huh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:21:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26364826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivainitea/pseuds/rivainitea
Summary: At first, Charles maintained a guarded yet relaxed posture, meaning he trusts Arthur to ride the horse, but they could still get followed by agents at any moment.Except they didn't.
Relationships: Arthur Morgan/Charles Smith
Comments: 4
Kudos: 77





	kiss me goodnight?

**Author's Note:**

> self indulgent as hell cause thats how we live round these parts. uhhh feel free to interpret this as werewolf arthur au due to the fact that he doesnt have TB here so lol go ham!!

It was all a bit of a rush, such is life as an outlaw, and Arthur could barely recall how he ended up in a spot like this. 

It started with Uncle yabbering in his ear about some lead on something or other, good information, "I'm drunk but please listen to me," yadda yadda, and then Charles joining them, as well as Bill.

Arthur found himself on autopilot often when he was around members like Bill and Uncle. But Charles was there, and hell, he'll be damned the day he doesn't feel overwhelmed just by his presence.

It's not bad, not at all. Charles' overwhelming aura is way different than Dutch's "I've disappointed you many times and I will continue to do so because I can" kind of overwhelming aura.

One grounds him, the other, well. It makes him question Dutch.

He doesn't like questioning Dutch. 

He shouldn't, but he does, and he finds himself questioning him the more he thinks.

Part of him feels guilty, part of him is so damn thankful for that sort of clarity. The clarity that being around Charles' brings. He doesn't feel like he's going to get ambushed at any moment, and if he does, he knows someone out there has his back.

Charles has his back because he wants Arthur to be safe, not because he's part of the gang. It goes beyond that. It's a feeling Arthur did not imagine anyone could feel towards him, and the last time he felt like that towards someone else, he had to abandon it.

Yet no matter how much he tries to block himself from Charles, he always seems to come back so easily, as if he wasn't even trying hard. It just happens naturally.

The last concrete thing he can remember is the shack they were hiding in going up ablaze, Arthur's horse getting spooked and rearing up before bolting deeper into the woods, and Charles gesturing for Arthur to hop on Taima.

He vaguely recalls sitting behind Charles, his hands a bit uncertain about where they should rest. He wanted to hold his hips like an anchor, or to hug his chest while his legs around the horse keeps him actually grounded, or to rest his face on the crook of Charles' neck, and just forget about his own existence for a moment.

Instead, he grabbed the reins while still behind Charles and reassured him that he should at least do the work of riding the horse, since Charles had been kind enough to lend his horse. Of course, anyone else would've done the same, but Arthur wanted to feel his arms around Charles' body, and now he had an excuse to do so. 

At first, Charles maintained a guarded yet relaxed posture, meaning he trusts Arthur to ride the horse, but they could still get followed by agents at any moment.

Except they didn't.

And that's how Arthur found himself basically spooning with Charles on the back of his horse, Arthur riding Taima while Charles slept between his arms, the back of his head restingon Arthur's shoulders. He rode slowly enough so that he wouldn't abruptly wake the other up, but with a steady enough pace that he wouldn't get followed to camp, though he wishes he could stay like this a bit longer.

It feels weird and it tugs at his heart, having someone under his care. Don't get me wrong, Charles can and will take care of himself just fine. But, well, he's cradling Charles so tenderly he doesn't even realize that Charles isn't actually asleep, but just resting his eyes, and doesn't understand Charles' smile when he presses a long kiss on his exposed neck.

Until he does. 

And then he's blushing.

"Oh, Arthur." Charles says quietly, as they get close to approaching camp, his hand moving to hold the other's left wrist.

"You– You ain't sleepin'?" He replied, a surprise tone with a quiet base to match Charles' reply. Despite his supposed emarassment, his face is still close to his skin, warmth enveloping both of the cowboys.

"What, you thought you could just kiss me goodnight?" Charles says back with a playful smile on his face, looking up with half-lidded eyes, his hand leaving Arthur's wrist to cup his cheeks, feeling his patchy beard under the palm of his hand.

"Ah, I– Well, maybe. I hoped so, yeah." He admitted as if it wasn't obvious, stopping Taima near camp, completely distracted by Charles' hand on his face. 

It was gentle, so gentle, too gentle. Arthur doesn't deserve it, and Arthur knows he doesn't, but Charles does it anyways. And because it wasn't enough, he goes back to resting the back of his head on Arthur's shoulders, turning his face and kissing his neck gently, like the other did to him not too long ago.

"Get us to camp and I'll let you actually kiss me goodnight."

"Do I get to be kissed goodnight too?"

"The road goes both ways, Arthur."


End file.
